Mistakes in PDFs for 1st and 2nd edition Champions

[Uncle Shecky]

The PDFs available on DriveThru RPG (and presumably also in HERO's online store) for 1st and 2nd edition Champions currently have the wrong front and back covers.

 

Back in late February, the PDFs on DriveThru were correct but misnamed (and so assigned to the wrong product in the store): "1st edition" had a complete and correct PDF of 2nd edition, and "2nd edition" was the complete PDF of 1st edition. I contacted DriveThru to let them know about that misnaming problem, and the PDFs were updated on March 7. I assumed then that the problem was fixed, but now that I've re-downloaded the PDFs,  I see that it was mostly fixed but with the cover problem introduced.

 

Champions 1st edition should have a full-color cover, front and back. The back is the continuation of the front illustration: it has Gargoyle and 2 other characters on it. The text inside should have a 1981 copyright on page 1, and it should end on page 56, with a brief afterword and a Vic Dal Chele illustration of a costumed man (with ice or stalactites above him).

 

Champions 2nd edition should have the speed chart and combat modifier table on the back cover. The front cover illustration should be the greyscale version. There were color versions of the 2nd edition cover as well (I believe they came first but were replaced by the greyscale version later), but the scanned version that's available is the greyscale one. The text inside should have two copyrights on page 1 (1981, and revised edition 1982), and it should end on page 80, with the character write-ups for Pulsar and Shrinker.

 

I hate to be a pest about this: I know having the correct text for each edition is the most important thing. But there has been a lot of confusion about these editions over the years, even among dedicated HERO players, and this mix-up doesn't help. I had access to physical copies of 3 versions of the rules (1st in color, 2nd in color (which I still own), and 2nd in greyscale) in the early '80s, and I'm certain my information is correct.

 

In brief: the PDFs have the correct text for each edition now. Just swap the front and back covers between the editions, and they'll be complete.

 

Thanks.

[Duke Bushido]

Enemies has a similar problem going on, but it's related to an actual original printing in which the 3e reissue labeled itself as first edition.